Handle member for luggage and other portable containers



May 15, 1962 C. s. GEHRIE 3,034,617

HANDLE MEMBER FOR LUGGAGE AND OTHER PORTABLE CONTAINERS Filed July 2l, 1960 Innung@ INVENTOR. @arles f3.' Q'eZ/Q ilnited States Patent lice 3,034,617 HANDLE MEMBER FOR LUGGAGE AND OTHER PORTABLE CONTAINERS Charles S. Gehrie, Montclair, NJ., assignor to Presto Lock Co., a limited partnership Filed `luly 21, 1960, Ser. No. 44,416 3 Claims. (Cl. 190-57) This invention relates to handle members for luggage cases, trunks and other portable containers.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel nonpivoted collapsible handle member for portable containers which, in its collapsed condition will flatten down between spaced apart anchor members which are atlxed to a wall of the container to be served by the handle member, so that the latter will be disposed to overlie said container wall parallel and closely contiguous thereto, but in its expanded condition will arch upwardly between said anchor members, whereby to be conveniently accessible to the grasp of a users hand by which the container is to be carried. 'Ihe advantage of such novel construction of 'handle member is that, when it is collapsed, it offers but minimum projection from the container wall to which it is attached, thereby facilitating storing of the container when not in use, as eig., in the luggage compartment of an 4automobile or other storage space, and especially when packed therein with other containers and other articles to be stored.

This invention has for another object to provide a handle member of somewhat flexible character having arcuate coupling links rigidly affixed to its respective ends, to project therefrom, and novel anchor members to telescopically receive said coupling links sub-ject to longitudinal slidable movement therein, whereby, in inwardly disposed positions, the handle member will be collapsed or lowered, but, in outwardly disposed positions, the handle member will be raised or expanded; spring means being mounted within the anchor ymember to engage the inner ends of the coupling links, so as to yieldably retain the latter respectively in their inwardly or outwardly moved positions.

A further `object of the invention is to provide each anchor member with a longitudinally disposed, -arcuate guide boss, dependent fromy a top wall thereof, so as to be engageable by the inner end of the associated coupling link, whereby, in cooperation with the lspring means, to yieldably retainthe coupling link in its inwardly or outwardly moved position; the inner end portions of the anchor member being formed to provide a stop post or stud adapted to be embraced and engaged by the inner end of the coupling link when the latter is outwardly moved, whereby to anchor the handle member to the anchor member in its expanded container carrying position.

The above and other objects will be understood from a reading of the following detailed description of this invention in connection with the accompanying drawings which show an illustrative embodiment thereof, in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the handle member in its depressed or vcollapsed position; FIG. 2 is a side elevaa tional view of the same in said depressed or collapsed position; and FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the same in its raised or expanded position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of an `anchor member of the handle structure, drawn on an enlarged scale, and showing the cooperative end of the handle member inwardly moved to dispose the handle member in its depressed or collapsed position; FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the cooperative end of the handle member outwardly moved to dispose the handle member 3,034,617 Patented May l5, 1962 in its raised or expanded position; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 6-6 in FIG. 4; FIG. 7 isa horizontal sectional view, taken on line 7 7 in FIG. 4, showing a bottom interior view of an anchor member, with the handle member collapsed; and FIG. 8 is a similar View, taken on line 8-8 in FIG. 5, with the handle member expanded.

Like characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character 10 indicates `a handle member. This handle member is or" somewhat flexible character, and is preferably made from a molded suitable plastic material, but may be made of other material which allows it to flex longitudinally. Affixed in the respective end portions of the handle member lil, which are downwardly angular to the body of the latter, are arcuate coupling links 11, the inner ends y12 of which are rigidly imbedded in said handle member end portions, so that their outer upturned cross-bar ends 13 project exteriorly from the latter. rI'he coupling links 11 are thus rigidly related to the handle member end portions, and are of upturned arcuate shape relative to the latter.

The reference character 14 indicates hollow, downwardly open, anchor members, which are respectively affixed to a wall W of a container to be served by the handle structure, and in such spaced apart relation as to engage the collapsed handle member 10 therebetween. The lanc-hor members 14 can be affixed to the container wall W by any suitable fastening means. Preferably however, the anchor members are provided, adjacent their respec- V tive ends, with dependent rivet elements 15, which are integral therewith, and adapted =to engage through the container wall W, with their free ends riveted over the underside of the latter, thus fastening the anchor members in affixed attachment to said container wall.

The inner end wall of each anchor member 14 is provided with downwardly open, laterally spaced, vertical Islots 16, to form intermediate thereof a stop post 17 which is adapted to be straddled by the sides of a handle member coupling link 11 that enter throughV said slots 16, thereby to dispose a cross-bar end 13 of the link within the anchor member interior. The stop post 17 is adapted to -be engaged by said cross-bar end 13 of the coupling link, when the latter is outwardly moved to dispose the handle member 10 in its raised or expanded position. interiorly dependent from the top wall of each anchor member 14, to extend longitudinally inward from the stop post 17, is an arcuate guide boss .18, which is adapted to be slidably engaged by the inner cross-bar end 13 of the associated coupling link. Also dependent from the top wall ofV each anchor member 14 is a stud 1'9. Supported by lsaid stud 19 is a leaf spring Ztl', which extends forwardly therefrom toward the stop post 17, and so as to underlie the arcuate guide boss 1S. The leaf spring can be aiiixed to the supporting stud 19 by any suitable form of fastening means, but preferably by a fastening rivet element 21 with which the stud is provided. Intermediate the inner end of the `arcuate guide boss 13 and the spring supporting stud 19, to also depend from the top wall of each anchor member 14, is a transverse notched bridge Y piece 22 by which the leaf spring 2li is embraced, whereby to prevent lateral displacement thereof. The leaf spring 20 is formed to provide a shoulder portion 2115` intermediate its ends, which is adapted to oppose the inner end of the arcuate guide boss 1S, and said leaf spring is further formed at its free end to provide seating socket Q4 adapted to oppose the outer end of the arcuate guide boss 18 at the juncture thereof with the stop post i7, and to engage the inner cross-bar end 13 of the associated coupling link, when the latter is outwardly moved to handle member expanding position, Iand in engagement with said outer end of the guide boss 18.

When the handle member 10 is depressed or collapsed to a flattened condition relative to the container wall W, as shown in FTG. 2, the angular ends of the handle member will be moved toward and so as to abut the ends of the anchor members 14, whereby to contact the container wall W. Such movement of the ends of the handle member 10 will cause the coupling links 11 to slide inwardly within said anchor members, thus sliding the inner cross-bar ends 13 of said coupling links over the arcuate guide bosses 18 into engagement with the inner ends of the latter, the leaf springs 20 yielding to such movement. When thus inwardly moved, the crossbar ends 13 of the coupling links will be engaged by the shoulder portions 23 of the leaf springs 20, whereupon the tension of said leaf springs will releaseably retain the coupling links against displacement from such engagement with said inner ends of the arcuate guide bosses 18, thereby retaining the handle member 10' in its depressed or collapsed condition (see FIGS. 4 and 7). Since, when the handle member is in collapsed condition, the angular ends thereof will contact the container walllW, and consequently the body of the handle member will be somewhat spaced away from the container wall W (see FIG. 2), thus facilitating engagement of said body by the fingers when lifting the handle member to expanded position for hand grasp.

To expand the handle member 10 from its collapsed condition to a raised or expanded condition, whereby to be hand grasped for carrying the container equipped therewith, the fingers of a grasping hand can engage the handle member so as to impart upward movement thereto. When the handle member is thus lifted and arched, as shown in FIG. 3, the ends of the same will be moved upwardly and away from the inner ends vof the anchos members 14. Such movement of the ends of the handle member will cause the coupling links 11 to slide outwardly within the anchor members 14, thus sliding the inner cross-bar ends 13 of said coupling links over the arcuate guide bosses 18 into engagement with the outer ends of the latter, and so as to abut the stop posts 17, the leaf springs 20 yielding to such movement. When thus outwardly moved, the cross-bar ends 13 of the coupling links will seat in the seating sockets 24 of the leaf springs 20, whereupon the tension of `said leaf springs will releasably retain the coupling links against displacement from such outwardly moved positions (see FIGS. and 8), and thereby hold the handle member raised or expanded until again manually depressed to collapsed condition.

From the above it will now be understood that this invention provides ya novel non-pivoted collapsible carrying handle member for portable containers. I am aware that various changes and modifications of the above described illustrative embodiment of this invention could be made, and therefore the described construction is not intended to be limited to the exact details thereof, except as required by the scope of the here following claims.

I claim:

l. A collapsible handle for a portable container comprising a exible handle member having yarcuate coupling links rigidly affixed to and projecting from its respective ends, said coupling links terminating in cross-bar ends, hollow anchor members adapted to be affixed to -a container Wall to dispose the handle member therebetween, `the inner end walls of the anchor members having laterally spaced vertical slots defining intermediate stop posts, the coupling links being entered through said slots into the interiors of the anchor members in straddling relation to the stop posts, each `anchor member having an internal arcuate guide boss dependent from its top Wall and adapted to be slidably engaged by said cross-bar end of an associated coupling link, and spring means affixed within the anchor members to underlie the guide bosses in opposition to said cross-bar ends of associated coupling links, whereby to maintain engagement thereof with the guide bosses, said coupling links, when inwardly moved within the anchor members, are caused to engage inner ends of the guide bosses, thus disposing the handle member in attened down collapsed position relative to the container wall, but, when outwardly moved within the anchor members, are caused to engage intermediate outer ends of the guide bosses `and the stop posts, thus disposing the handle member in upwardly arched expanded position relative to the container Wall.

2. A collapsible handle for a portable container according to claim 1 wherein the spring means of the anchor members have shoulders intermediate their ends to yieldably thrust the free ends of the coupling links into engagement with inner ends of the guide bosses and seating sockets at their free ends to yieldably thrust the free ends of the coupling links into engagement with outer ends of the guide bosses.

3. A collapsible handle for a portable container according to claim 1, wherein the handle member is provided with downwardly angular end portions which, when the handle member is collapsed, will contact the container wall whereby to somewhat space the body of said handle member therefrom, and thereby facilitate engagement of said body by the fingers when lifting the handle member to expanded position for hand grasp.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,736,640 Waterer Nov. 19, 1929 2,195,028 Finkelstein Mar. 26, 1940 2,962,138 Finkelstein Nov. 29, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 306,230 Great Britain Mar. 7, 1929 

